Breyten Breytenbach is hailed in South Africa and internationally as an influential writer and critical thinker. Parool / Parole is a collection of his speeches continue to light literary, political and philosophical fires. Each of these public addresses - delivered in English and Afrikaans at various events around the world between 1968 and 2015 - links historical moments in the development of Afrikaans and South African literature to key events in Breytenbach's life and career. His speech at the Sestiger Summer School in 1973, for example, represents a watershed moment regarding Afrikaans writers' attitudes towards social and political issues. In his Rapport Prize acceptance speech in 1986, Breytenbach brazenly confronts Afrikaners about their support of an apartheid police state. And who will forget Breytenbach's plea in the Palace of Justice in 1975, when he addressed the judge who would eventually send him to jail on terrorism charges? The recent tribute at Andre Brink's memorial service in Cape Town reaffirms the author's commitment to his craft, and demonstrates how his creative output is framed by an acute sense of morality. The speeches in Parool / Parole, many of which have not been published before, provide valuable insights into the mind of a major literary figure.
